Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Thank you to Sarah Kolkman, Instructor at Shepherds College, for writing today's blog.

Dinner on a Budget project was created as a way
to challenge students who finish work early in the first-year class, Math and
Money Skills.There is a diverse range
of abilities in math, in which every student in one subject excels or struggles.In order to allow individual attention on
those who struggle with the math concepts and allow those who have completed
the assignment additional REAL training, a blue folder appeared in the back of
the classroom.

Students were instructed that if
their work was completed and turned in, they could work on additional math
practice or grab the blue folder in the back of the room.Inside the folder contained steps to planning
a dorm dinner on a budget.Working as a
team, the math students were to plan the meal, budget the expenses, shop,
prepare, and serve the meal for all the first-year class.

Cooking for over 24 students plus
staff on a $50.00 budget turned out to be more difficult than they thought.

The tricky part was getting the
price down.A week before the dinner, some math students made a trip to the grocery store to research the
ingredients and their prices.

Not only
were they challenged with finding the cheapest price per unit, but estimating
how much of that ingredient would feed 24 hungry college students.Adding up our total, it came to over
$100!Yikes!Not discouraged, students went back and
combed through their recipes and ingredient list.They found areas they could cut out and trim
back on, and finally turned in a budget proposal that was under $50.00.

The following week, another group
of math students went back to the grocery store to shop for their items.

As students will learn in their 2nd
year, food is a flexed expense,
meaning it changes.Some of the prices
had changed from our original trip.With
quick thinking and a couple of returns, students were able to purchase
everything, bring it back to the dorms, dice, steam, and bake the food into a
wonderfully prepared potato bar meal.

I am so proud of my math students.Each and every one of them had a role in this
project, and they demonstrated great team work, problem solving, and overall
budgeting skills.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

What would I, a
Chicago gal from birth, and a transport to South Carolina, Iowa, and then back
to Illinois, know about the Queen’s housekeeper?That would be Queen Elizabeth, the only queen
I have known to be on the throne of England.And what does she have to do with my work at Shepherds College?Well, I will tell you, but first, the back
story.

Last summer I
wrote about how God led me to Shepherds College via a lay-off and the kind
encouragement of a respected co-worker (The Office: As He Leads, July 18, 2012). I did not have any academic training
in special education.I had not
volunteered in any particular special ed ministries.It had not really dawned on me until almost
the end of my interview here that I had, however, grown up with two very close
relatives who had disabilities.I was certainly
aware of their conditions, but did not think about their handicaps as someone
else may have viewed them because I had grown up with them, and their lives
were part of the normal rhythms of our household and holidays.

I really
wondered what I was getting myself into when I ventured here for an
interview. Of course, I wanted a job—our house payment depended on me.I was laid off in a time when my husband had
been out of work for 14 months, so I felt a little anxious about how we would
make ends meet while hoping and trusting that God would take care of us like He
had so many times in the past. However, I decided it needed to be a win-win
situation.I was not going to
desperately try to sell myself and say what I thought they wanted to hear in
order to be hired, but chose blunt reality instead.I was interviewing them as much as they were
interviewing me, and I was not sure I was equipped to work here.

I was frank
about my strengths and weaknesses.I
remember encouraging them to get “the good, the bad, and the ugly” from my
references.We might as well have the
truth out in the open and up front because we would have to work together and coordinate
our personalities if I was hired, right?Better to know if we would have a good working dynamic before putting HR
through all the paces it takes to start a new employee.Not being desperate
helped me relax, which helped me think more clearly, which in turn helped me
answer the interview questions more thoughtfully than if I had been in a
nervous sweat over the whole process.

The interview
felt long.I wondered why they were
taking so much time with me.I think it
was about two hours by the time we finished and they gave me a tour.After departing, I left it all in God’s
hands.

Quicker than I
would have imagined, Shepherds called and offered me the position, and I
started the following week. I jumped right in helping to prepare for Opening
Weekend just two weeks away.I wondered
what I had gotten myself in to when the Dean told me to check on students in
the apartments the first day of school to make sure they were up and not
fighting.Thankfully no one was
fighting!

Was this really
where I was supposed to be?Why did God
open this door?I was certainly grateful
that the Lord provided a job so quickly, but. . . what was I doing here?How could I possibly help these
students?I did not know anything about
the multitude of disabilities represented, how their minds processed
information, or how to connect with them.And now, four years later, I am still here.What motivated me to stay?Would you believe it was Queen Elizabeth’s Housekeeping
Director?

Here is what
happened.Two or three weeks into the
school year, I was watching a recorded episode of Oprah in which she explored
how other people and cultures lived, a topic that always fascinated her.One of the homes she explored was Windsor
Castle.The segment followed a reporter,
approved by the Queen Mother, who was allowed to film the workings inside her
home.He documented for the viewers what
it was like to be a guest of the Queen.I was completely fascinated with the housekeeping staff, and the Director
of the staff in particular, who reminded me a bit of “Nanny McPhee,” if you have
seen that delightful film, with her crooked front teeth and distinctive facial features.

It took four housekeeping staff members, that I
could see within the camera view and under the watchful eye of the Director, to
help settle a visitor's belongings in the guest room.Absolute care was taken to unpack suitcases
by three people!One was unpacking and
dictating the contents to another who had a clipboard and was taking note of
every item.A third person was taking
each article and either hanging it up or placing it carefully in the suite
while a fourth person otherwise readied the room.Clothes were hung on silky padded
hangers.The bed was turned down in
perfect and pristine order.Teddy bears
were nestled lovingly between the bed pillows from children’s suitcases.

Preparing for a
guest’s departure was equally impressive.Clothing was washed and pressed and, ever-so-carefully, packed between layers
of tissue to ensure a clean and neat suitcase.It was jaw-dropping to me to see the care and detail!From off-camera the reporter asked the
Director of Housekeeping why they didn’t let the guests pack their own
suitcases.Two staff members in the
background gasped at the very thought, in a very polite British way, of
course.But I’ll never forget what the
Director said (only because I grabbed a pen and wrote her profound words down!I rewound the tape numerous times to capture
her words exactly.)

She looked
straight into the camera, and with her British accent and clear diction spoke quietly
and with calm conviction,

“Everything is done to make
them feel as comfortable as possible…so when they leave the Queen’s home they
say, ‘What a wonderful, wonderful place, and how well we were looked after.’”

In that moment, sitting
in my basement apartment, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, and assured me, “Cathy, that is all I am asking of you at
Shepherds.Take care of the students
while they are there, so when graduation comes and it’s time for them to leave,
they can say to their parents, “What a wonderful, wonderful place, and how well
we were looked after.”

I almost cried.
I can do that. I can care. I can be a
part of making Shepherds College a “wonderful, wonderful place”.

So, I was inspired to stay, even though I had no (academic)
background in a special needs population.In the day-to-day routines, I do what I can:help the students get their lockers open, replace
a broken lanyard, call maintenance because something spilled on the carpet,
pass meds, hold lost and found items, help tutor a student struggling with
math concepts, exercise with them, make copies for class, make sure they have a
travel escort for Christmas break, pass along stickers for the scrapbook club,
plan their graduations and make it as grand as possible, and so many little and
big tasks to look after them… and offer a wonderful, wonderful stay.

I Peter 4:10, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received
to serve others…”

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

As a child, I was always surprised when I heard people say
that Thanksgiving was their favorite holiday. “But there aren’t any presents!” I would say with bemusement to my
siblings, and we would wonder at the oddness of adults.

Now I get it.

I love the anticipation leading up to Thanksgiving. My kids
start texting their travel plans early in the month. I begin my list making – Family
Favorite Recipes to Make, New Recipes to Try, Grocery Shopping for the 1st
Week of November, Grocery Shopping for the 2nd Week, Grocery
Shopping for the 3rd Week, Cooking Plans for the three days leading
up to Thanksgiving, and Chores that Need to Get Done Before the Family Arrives.

Every picture of a golden brown and glistening turkey makes
my stomach rumble. The aisles of the
grocery stores are filled with amazing food items I want to try and incorporate
into my Thanksgiving recipes.Memories
of the savory smells of sage, thyme, melted butter, and caramelized onions
tantalize my mind as I try to stay focused on my daily responsibilities.

My husband and I spend
our evenings leading up to the family’s homecoming freshening up bedrooms and
bathrooms, and shopping for new movies to watch late into the night with the
kids. Prayers fill our quiet times – “God,
please let all our loved ones stay healthy. Keep their cars running smoothly,
and keep them safe as they’re driving home. Bless our time together with love
and laughter and fun new memories. Teach us to be mindful of all Your blessings
and let gratitude fill our home and hearts. Amen. And please don’t let the oven
break down. Amen… again.”

A lot of the staff and students at Shepherds College share
my love for this holiday, for all the delicious food shared with family &
friends, and for a time set aside for purposeful gratitude.

“Although I love the
traditional turkey, stuffing, etc., the food I most look forward to is my wife
Emilie’s sweet potato casserole. Her recipe isn’t topped with marshmallows, but
is instead made with mashed sweet potatoes and a crunchy pecan and brown sugar
topping. Yum!”~ Mr. Gaschke

“I’m so thankful for
all the people at Shepherds College, the staff and students.”~ Kati, student

“I love a good
stuffing. My father-in-law makes stuffing with Italian sausage and it is
phenomenal. I also love gravy over everything!”~ Mr. DeCiccio

"My favorite food at Thanksgiving is green bean casserole. The thing I am thankful about at Shepherds College is that I am able to have the opportunity to grow in maturity and social skills. This school has made a huge positive impact on my life." ~ Suzanne, student

“My FAVORITE food for
Thanksgiving is my Grandma’s green bean casserole!! It’s a secret family recipe
so I can’t share it… all I can tell you is that it is amazing!

I am thankful for the
growth I have seen in the students this semester. They have worked very hard!”~ Mrs. Kolkman

“I love the devil’s
food cake and apple cider. I’m thankful for all the friends and staff members
who love me at Shepherds College.”~
Anthony, student

I’m thankful for the
great conversations I’ve had with the students while driving this semester. I
love when they open up and feel comfortable sharing what is going on in their
lives with me!”~ Mrs. Patton

“I’m thankful that I
work with such a high caliber, creative, passionate and caring group of people,
and I’m thankful for the impact the students have made in my life.”~ Mr. Canright

"My favorite food is Pumpkin Cheesecake. I'm thankful for my Academic Advisor, Miss Pollard. She has helped steer me in the right direction of how I'm supposed to be acting and following the rules." ~ Jonathan, student

“I am thankful for all
my students and the joy, diversity, and energy they bring into my life!! They
are all wonderful, and I’m thankful to have a small part in their lives.”~ Miss Pollard

“Turkey and pumpkin
pie! I’m thankful I can be at Shepherds College.”~ Alex, student

“I love plain sweet
potatoes without brown sugar or marshmallows on top. I think they are so
delicious just the way they are. I like to savor the flavor, with maybe just a
little butter, but it’s not required to enjoy!

I’m thankful coming in
on Sunday evenings to be with the first-year ladies as the overnight person. It
is so refreshing to see them outside of the academic arena and have time to
just talk to them.”~ Mrs. Harvey

“My parents are coming
for Thanksgiving so I’m hosting for the first time! I’m most looking forward to
potatoes – mashed and sweet! My husband Matt is looking forward to the HUGE
turkey my parents are lugging all the way from New York, and pumpkin
cheesecake!

I am thankful for two
things – the support of my supervisors and the way that God continually uses
Shepherds College to sanctify me, to make me more like Him. I think I often
forget that God has me here to accomplish His own will within me, not just so I
can serve.”~ Mrs. Cyr

Mr. Wright's favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

From the Shepherds
College family to yours –

We pray that you find
love reflected in each face seated around your table, that you find joy in the
memory of each precious face that is no longer there, and that each morsel of
delicious food, each beloved family tradition, and each moment of shared happiness
ultimately serves to bring you closer to the One who provided it all.